Passage of Time Pt4: Departures
by fred21
Summary: SG1/SGA crossover. Atlantis is returning to the Pegasus Galaxy. For the members of Atlantis and SG1 there are meetings with old friends and an enemy is waiting in the wings...
1. Chapter 1

**Passage of Time Pt5: Departures**

**Chapter One**

**2 Feb 2009**

**~*~*~*~ **

Propped up on one elbow Colonel Cameron Mitchell smiled to himself as he contemplated the early morning scene that was laid out before him.

From the foot of the bed the sheet, duvet and quilt disappeared downwards towards floor. Moving along the bed the covers continued upwards hiding what he knew was a pair of very sexy legs and an equally sexy behind before the covers stopped at the point just below the curve in the small of Anna's back. The rest of her was exposed to the crisp cool air that was in the room and to Cameron's appreciating gaze.

An expanse of creamy white skin stretched out next to him, dipping in then curving upwards, partially obscured by the long red gold hair that flowed over it. A woman's back was, he thought, a beautiful thing, especially when it was Anna's. His eyes flickered up to her face which was peaceful in sleep, her right hand curled up loosely and tucked underneath her chin, a few wayward strands of hair draped across her cheek and arm.

His smile getting broader he carefully leaned over doing his best not to wake her and placed kiss on a spot of smooth skin in the small of her back before he nuzzled it slightly with his nose and lips, moving up several inches to place another kiss, this one firmer than the last, his left hand coming around to hold her gently at the waist as he did so. Moving up a bit more, he felt her giggle before he heard the sound of it as his fingers moved a strand of long hair aside so that he could place a third kiss on a spot between her shoulder blades.

Knowing that she was now wake, Cameron lifted his head up to see her slightly scrunched up face looking at him as she tried to hold back another giggle, a half smile, half smirk on her face.

"Enjoying ourselves, are we?" Anna asked, laughter in her voice as her gaze met his.

"I have a beautiful, naked woman in my bed. What's not to enjoy," replied Cameron smiling as he brushed more of her long hair aside and placed a kiss on the edge of her shoulder.

Legs became entangled as they rolled together so that Anna was on her back with Cameron laying on top of her, the two of them giggling and laughing in the process. Cameron placed a kiss on a spot above her right breast, followed by another and then another as he moved downwards, Anna's squeals and giggles mingling with Cameron's own quiet laughter as he proceeded to make love to his wife.

**~*~*~*~ **

**SGC, Cheyenne Mountain  
**

"Morning Sunshine."

"Mmm..." Caught up in his reading, Doctor Daniel Jackson made a vague reply, his mind focused on the file he was reading and the mug of coffee he was drinking, before he glanced casually up to see Cameron coming out from another corridor, intersecting with the one that Daniel was walking along.

With his attention now focused on Cameron, Daniel gave a more in depth response, "Oh... Good morning. Running a bit late, aren't we?" he asked, knowing full well the latest of the morning as the two of them fell into step with each other, shutting the file and glancing at his watch to confirm this and seeing that Cameron was in fact now a little over half an hour late.

"Yeah. Sorry about that," replied Cameron, not looking all that sorry with a boyish grin on his face, "But don't worry the Odyssey's not going anywhere without me, which means it won't leave without you and Vala."

"Oh, I'm not worried. Vala on the other hand..."

"Well, look who's finally managed to get himself out of bed this morning," said Vala, coming up behind the two men, "You know some of us have better things to do than wait around for you all morning. Some of us in fact, are packed and ready, waiting to have this meeting over with so we can beam aboard the Odyssey. Some of us haven't had breakfast yet." Giving a few sideways shakes of her head, pursing her lips at the same time in a look of disapproval Vala continued, "This really isn't how someone in command should behave."

"Look in four years I have never once been late. Something ...."

"... came up?" said Vala, flashing Cameron a cheeky smile

Cameron gave Vala a quick glance backwards, his face revealing nothing, his voice cautious. "Yeah... we got a flat tyre."

"Oh, well that's strange... because I just spoke to Anna and she said that the reason you were running late was because she'd left her laptop behind by mistake."

Cameron said something quietly to himself as he walked slightly ahead of Daniel and Vala.

Vala leaned over to Daniel whispering but loud enough for Cameron to hear, "You know what I think? I think they were busy having ..."

"Vala!" Daniel gave her a warning look.

"WHAT? You know you were thinking it too," said Vala as they all walked into the briefing room"

Doing his best to keep his composure Cameron replied, "Can we change the subject?"

"You see, I told you so," Vala said smugly, looking from Daniel to Cameron, "While we've been waiting here, having dragged ourselves out of a warm bed on absolutely freezing morning, he and Anna ... "

"Vala, I think we're all quite aware of what you think," said Daniel, coming to Cameron's rescue. Turning to Cameron he gave his friend a smile. "You know, you really did bring this on yourself. I mean it's Anna's last day before she goes to the Pegasus Galaxy. The two of you aren't going to see each other for months. It doesn't take a genius to put two and two together."

"Don't you mean one and one together," called out Vala from the other side of the table, her face barely able to hide the huge smile that was threatening to over whelm it.

"Okay, okay. Give me a break," cried Cameron in defeat as he saw the two of them trying to hold back the laughter, "Can we just pretend this never happened and get back to work and please, please stop talking about my love life."

With that Cameron took a seat and sat down, putting an end to the matter as Daniel and Vala followed suit and sat down, the teasing smiles still on their faces.

**~*~*~*~ **

**The Odyssey - Currently in orbit around Earth  
**

Two hours later they all sat in the mess hall of the Odyssey as Vala watched Anna reach across the table with her spoon, dipping it into Cameron's red jello, popping the spoonful of food into her mouth.

"Hey! You never let me do that." Vala looked at Cameron, indignant.

"That's because she...," said Cameron, giving a nod towards Anna, along with a smile and a wink, "...happens to be the woman I love and we're married."

"Mmm... That seems just a little unfair." Looking slightly put out, Vala looked across at Daniel, her expression changing as she eyed his plate of food.

"Don't even think about it." Daniel looked up from his reading, giving Vala a stare.

"Darling, I know we're not married but you love me. Surely that counts for something. Just one little bite? Pleaseee!"

In reply Daniel pulled his plate closer, putting the file he was reading between his plate and Vala.

"Well, that's not very nice. We're a couple too. And couples share."

"I don't think that's going to work. Maybe you should just ask the guy to marry you." Cameron couldn't help but tease.

"Nooo!"

Speaking at the same time, Vala and Daniel shook their heads, panic in their eyes as they looked at Cameron and Anna.

"Okay, that's not the reaction I was expecting. I would of thought you wouldn't have had a problem getting married. You've both been married before." Cameron was amused by their response, who would of thought that just mentioning marriage would get that kind of reaction.

"And look at how they all ended," said Vala, giving Daniel a smile which he returned, giving a shrug of his shoulders in agreement, "Daniel's wife was taken over by a Goa'uld. And my track record is no better, none of my relationships have ended on the best of terms. It's feels better this way."

"Vala and I have talked about it and we've decided we're happy as we are. Marriage isn't that important to us, anymore."

"Of course, if I had known that being married meant that I was entitled to a share of Daniel's food I might have considered it a bit more carefully..."

With her hand now laying next to Daniel's plate, Vala quickly pulled the plate of waffles towards herself, grabbing a fork and taking a bite.

Daniel gave her a slightly exasperated look as she grinned back at him. Chuckling Cameron shared an amused glance with Anna, her own face showing a smile as she took a sip of her tea.

**~*~*~*~ **

"It's a lemon," said Anna.

Standing in their quarters Anna looked at the large lemon in Cameron's hand, confusion in her voice and on her face. Of all the gifts that Cameron might of given her as a going away present this was unusual to say the least. Obviously there was some meaning behind it, but whatever it was it escaped her for the time being. Still it was the thought that counted, she thought, reaching out for it and holding it in her hand.

Seeing her confusion and the slight hesitation she gave before she took it, Cameron smiled. "If McKay gives you a hard time, just wave this about. It's guaranteed to send him running in the other direction."

"Oh?"

"Apparently he's allergic."

Anna felt a smile forming on her face which she struggled to hold back a little by gently biting down on her bottom lip, causing the smile to stop half way, though the evidence of her good humor was apparent by the sparkle in her eyes and the heightened laugh lines on her cheeks. "I'm sure he's not that bad. He seemed nice at Sam and Jack's wedding. Maybe you just met him on a bad day."

"Maybe," Cameron grudgingly admitted, smiling, "Doctor Keller certainly seems to be a good influence on him. But just in case, take it, you never know when it might come in handy. Either that or you could always just shoot him."

Giving a laugh Anna saw Cam's smile and knew that it wasn't really about Doctor McKay but that instead he was just making sure she was going to be okay while she was way from him. Knowing this she placed the lemon inside her jacket pocket, giving it a pat.

"See, safe and sound. I'll keep it by my laptop. If he gets out of hand I'll just point to it, that should do the trick. Though I'm sure I won't need to. Remember I've been yelled at by the best. If I can handle a four star general doing his nut at me, I'm sure I can cope with Rodney," said Anna, leaning over to kiss him.

They had been lucky so far. It was the first time that they were going to be apart for any length of time since they had first met a little over a year ago. And though they accepted it as part of their jobs, it still didn't make it any easier for either of them. For the next 12 weeks there would be no more long talks or companionable silences that came from two people who were not just husband and wife but best friends. No more glances and random touches that spoke of their love for each other. From tonight onwards until they saw each other again they would be sleeping alone, the other side of the bed cold and empty.

"Good. Just let him know if he upsets you, I'll kick his butt," said Cameron, returning the kiss.

Leaning forward he rested his forehead against hers. For a moment the two of them stayed like that, looking at each other, faint smiles on their faces as they kissed gently again before they moved apart as Anna went over to the bed, slipping her laptop bag over one shoulder and picking up her other bag.

"Got everything Doc?" asked Cameron

"I think so."

Cameron went over to her taking the bag from her hand. As the two of then walked out the door he reached out with his free hand taking her hand in his, pulling her closer to his side. In response Anna reached across her chest with her left hand, taking hold of Cam's upper arm and leaned into him as they walked along the corridors of the Odyssey.

**~*~*~*~ **

Standing in a spot where the corridors of the Odyssey intersected to form a crossroads Anna stood with Cameron saying her goodbyes to Vala and Daniel.

Vala gave Anna a hug. "Now don't you worry about a thing. We'll keep an eye on Mitchell and I promise we'll do our best not to get him into too much trouble. And remember don't work too hard, eat right and get plenty of sleep... oh and don't go sticking your head in any strange Ancient devices just because it's a helpful thing to do..."

"What Vala means is that she's going to miss you. We all are," said Daniel going up to Anna to give her a hug as Vala moved away. As she had with Vala, Anna returned the hug, holding Daniel for a moment. Since their ordeal at the hands of the Furlings the two of them had become close, something that everyone else around them accepted and understood, knowing that a bond had been created between them when they had witnessed the torture of the other.

As Vala and Daniel stood back a little, Cameron spoke into his comm link, "Marks we're ready to beam down."

In an instance they were gone in a flash of white leaving Daniel and Vala standing there. As Daniel moved away, heading back to one of the science labs, he stopped after only taking a few steps as he realised that Vala wasn't following him and was still standing in the same spot, a wistful and slightly sad look on her face.

"Hey, you okay?" he said, peering at her with concern.

"I'm fine." Vala turned and gave Daniel a smile. "It's just first Sam and now Anna, everyone's leaving again. You know how much I hate goodbyes."

"I know, but Anna will be back in a few months and Sam will be back before you know it. The General Hammond just going on it's first run, checking that all it's systems are working smoothly. You'll have plenty to catch up on when you see them again. And there's one good thing...," said Daniel moving closer to Vala to stand right in front of her, his face alight with mischief and desire.

"Oh?"

"Yes, we can spend time together alone, just you and me..."

"... and the other 150 members of the crew along with Mitchell. Not exactly alone, Darling, unless of course you're thinking of holey up in our quarters the entire time we're on board."

"Well, maybe not the _entire_ time," said Daniel, leaning down to give her a quick kiss, "But I'm sure no one will even notice if we disappear for a few hours." With that Daniel suddenly swooped Vala up into his arms and turned heading towards their quarters

Laughing Vala flashed Daniel a saucy grin. "_Only_ a few hours. Oh I'm sure you can do much better than that."

**~*~*~*~ **


	2. Chapter 2

**Atlantis - San Francisco Bay, California**

Richard Woolsey stood in the gate room of Atlantis, his back to the Stargate, his gaze moving around the familiar shapes of the city, lingering occasionally as he lost himself in his thoughts, enjoying for the moment the solitude.

Atlantis had become his home, something that he still found surprising. He had never really had a place he had called home before. In the past, the apartments he had lived in had merely been places where he had laid his head at night to sleep. He was a man who lived for his work, even before the divorce. Now though his marriage was over, his dog with his ex-wife, his father gone. His work had taken over his life, but since arriving at Atlantis something had slowly changed. It had become much more than just a place of work, it was his home and he was glad to be back.

"Kinda quiet, isn't it?"

His thoughts interrupted by the voice of Colonel John Sheppard, Woolsey turned to see the Colonel standing a few feet away.

"Yes, it is." Woolsey turned back to survey his surroundings, a smile on his face. "Not that I mind others being here. It just feels different when it's like this. I must admit it's quite nice."

"I think I prefer it with people around."

John glanced around. He had never thought that when he had first arrived at Atlantis five years ago that a place could become so important to him. It wasn't just the city though, because like all cities it needed people to feel alive, without it was just an empty shell, a monument to a race long gone, cold and sterile however beautiful it looked. It was the people that made this place special. They had faced the loss of good people over the years. Ford, Carson, Elizabeth. They had made enemies. Faced the possible destruction of Atlantis and even their own deaths. Only to come through it time and time again. It had changed them all, united them all.

"Yes, well it won't be quiet for much longer. Everyone's starting to arrive, getting ready to make the journey back to Pegasus."

Moving away from the Stargate the two men headed in the direction of Woolsey's office, talking as they went. There was a lot to discuss and as the first to arrive back they had plenty of time to go over everything that they needed to.

The city had been all but empty since it's arrival back on Earth on few months ago. Personnel had been rotated off, giving everyone a chance for some much needed downtime. A chance to see family and friends, to relax and unwind. There had also been, what had felt like for many of them, an endless round of briefings, both with Stargate Command and with the IOA. It had meant that there had only been a handful of people at the city at any one time. Now though that was about to all change. They were going home which was something that most of them were looking forward to and the city would be alive once more.

"About that, how did you really manage to get the IOA to agree?"

"I'm not quite sure what you mean. The IOA decided after much consideration that it was in the best interests of everyone that Atlantis should not remain on Earth. Keeping it a secret was proving to be a quite a challenge, how long do you really think they could keep something this size a secret?"

John wasn't buying the innocent act. He had learned that despite looking like a mild mannered accountant, Woolsey was more than capable of making the tough decisions and that he would do whatever was necessary, within reason, to safe guard the city and the people within it.

"I would of thought this was right up their alley. Keeping secrets is what the IOA does best."

"Maybe, but keeping a secret of this magnitude was logistically proving difficult. The risk of exposure was too great. Not only that, after what happened when we moved the Ancient chair to Area 51, let's just say the IOA realised that it's in the best interest of everyone on Earth if Atlantis was safe somewhere else. Having, shall we say 'all our eggs in one basket' is too big a risk. What if Earth was attacked? We could lose everything including Atlantis. In makes sense to have Atlantis somewhere else, as a kind of second Earth colony in case we ever need it."

"Okay, I'll go along with some of that. It's the same argument that Doctor Jackson and General O'Neill gave the IOA, but since when do the IOA ever do anything that we suggest."

"Perhaps we should be grateful that this time they did."

"Yeah well, remind me to send them a fruit basket as a thank you." John gave Woolsey a deadpan look, a touch of sarcasm in his voice.

**~*~*~*~ **

In a blink Anna found herself standing in the gate room of Atlantis, Cameron by her side, Mr Woolsey and John standing in front of her.

When she had first started using the Asgard beam, she had found it a little disorientating. Her eyes registering one thing, her brain another. She always took a moment before she would move, giving herself time for her brain to register what her eyes were seeing, After the first couple of times, she no longer found it disorientating and now it was like taking a step from one room to another. Just a very big step, she thought, remembering the distances that her body traveled when using the beam.

"Colonel Mitchell. Doctor Mitchell. Welcome to Atlantis," greeted Woolsey

"Yeah, nice of you to send us off. Although a cake would of been nice, maybe some streamers...," John said, a teasing tone in his voice as he smiled at them.

Anna and Cameron, looked at each other giving a quick smile as they both spoke at the same time. "Actually..."

".... you're going to love this," finished Cameron, then spoke into his ear piece, "Marks. Beam the next item down."

A trolley appeared near John. On the top level was enormous rectangle cake with the words Bon Voyage written in icing. On the bottom layer of the trolley were half dozen large bottles of champagne and several bottles of beer.

"Now that's more like it. Nice going." John went over to the trolley, dipping his finger into some of the cream that was decorating the rim of the cake and putting it into his mouth, enjoying the taste.

"As much as I'd like to take the credit, it was General O'Neill's idea really. He wanted to give you some kind of send off. You know how the man loves his cake."

"Well, it's a nice gesture. I was sorry to hear that he couldn't come in person," said Woolsey, "I'll send him a thank you, shortly. It was very good of you to drop by with it." Woolsey was already composing the thank you to the General in his head, wondering if General liked cigars and if he had time to send some before Atlantis left Earth.

"No problem. I was in the neighborhood." Cameron grinned as he watched John eye the cake.

"Who knew he was such a softy," said John as he reached out to dip his finger back into the cream

"I think we should wait until _everyone_ is here."

John stopped, the tip of his finger only an inch away from it's desired target, and pulled his hand back. "Sure. Though maybe we should try to find a way to keep Rodney occupied until everyone's had some. With his appetite there'll be none left once he gets here. I'm sure I could arrange for a small malfunction to occur that would keep him away for a few hours."

"I don't think that'll be necessary." Woolsey gave John a steady look at this suggestion, knowing that the Colonel was more than capable of undertaking some minor sabotage just to keep Doctor McKay away from the food. He hoped that his tone was enough to put that idea out of the Colonel's head. "Colonel Sheppard, perhaps you could show Doctor Mitchell around and take her to her quarters." Woolsey raised his eyebrow a fraction at John. "I'll see that the General's gift is put somewhere safe for later on."

As Woolsey moved away, signaling to one of the marines that was standing nearby, to come over and move the trolley, John turned his attention onto Cameron and Anna.

"Okay. First things first. I guess it's time for the goodbyes. Do you want me to leave you .... alone for a minute so you can say you're goodbyes?" John looked a little bit awkward as he said this.

"Actually, I thought I'd tag along..." Seeing the slightly questioning look on John's face, Cameron carried on, "... check things out while I'm here."

John quickly glanced from Cameron to Anna and back again. Seeing the look that John had given, Cameron knew that they understood each other and that John would watch over Anna, just like Cameron would if the situation was reversed.

"Okay, then..." Clearing his voice John began the tour, putting on his tour guide voice. "_Behind you we have the big circular device... we all like to call the Stargate. Now if you follow me Mitchell and ..._" Stopping in mid stride, John looked at them, his voice changing back to normal, "You know I can't call you both Mitchell. I mean that's just plain weird."

"You could just use my name," said Anna, giving him a smile.

"You're right. Sorry I kinda call people by their last names a lot. It's a habit."

"What do you call Doctor McKay? she asked.

"A pain in the butt," said Cameron, dryly, answering for John.

"That too," said John, chuckling, "But usually I call him McKay or Rodney."

"How about we stick with Anna or Doc if you want. I think if you started calling me Mitchell, I'd find it confusing too."

Giving a nod, John continued with the tour. "Follow me and I'll show you the place where..."

**~*~*~*~ **

"It's so beautiful."

Anna bent over the balcony looking at the city below, holding tight onto the railing as she did so, a breeze whipping around her face.

"It is that." Cameron went over to her, slipping his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him as she stood upright, leaning into him, wrapping her arms over his.

For a few minutes they stood there, looking out across at the city and the surrounding sea, the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance.

John had given them a quick tour showing them the main briefing room, the mess hall, the gym, the infirmary, one of the labs and finally the quarters that Anna would be using for the duration of her stay. Back in the gate room they had made their way to one of the balconies to get a view of the outside of the city.

Knowing that Cameron had to leave, but not wanting to end this moment together, Anna shut her eyes, concentrating on the feel of him. His body heat radiated outwards, surrounding her in its warmth. With hands clasping both of his she could feel the strength in them, every muscle, every tendon. Taking a breath she smelt the scent of him, a mixture of aftershave, deodorant, and soap, blending into his own unique scent that was all Cameron. Finally with her ears she could hear his quiet breathing combined with the beat of his heart, that she could feel as he held her. Strong, slow and steady. For a few seconds she held on to the moment, taking in everything, storing it all in her memory. This was Cameron. Her husband, her lover, her friend. It was going to be strange to be without him for the next few months.

Opening her eyes, she turned around. "I guess it's time," she said, giving him a nod and a smile.

Back inside to the gate room, they saw that John and Ronon were there along with Major Lorne and Mr Woolsey. Going over to them, Anna stood with them as Cameron brushed his lips across her forehead , kissing her.

"I'll see you soon," he whispered before he walked over to a spot to give the command to beam out. They had both agreed that they wouldn't do a long goodbye. Short and brief, was what they had agreed to.

"We'll keep the porch light on," said John.

Cameron smiled. "You do that. We'll keep ours on also, in case you drop by for a visit."

"Who are we kidding," said Anna quietly, rushing up to Cameron, throwing herself into his arms as she kissed him passionately, not caring who was watching.

Cameron smiled as she ran up to him, the smile still on his lips as she kissed him.

Neither of them cared as the others stood by, all of them trying to avert their eyes as Cameron and Anna kissed. A minute went by and then another.

"Maybe we should go...," whispered Major Lorne to Sheppard and the others.

"I think maybe you're right," whispered John back, nodding his head towards the opposite direction from the kissing couple.

Just as they were all about to go Cameron and Anna broke the kiss.

"Love you," said Cameron, stroking Anna's face.

"Love you back." Anna smiled back, taking steps backwards, watching Cameron the whole time as he gave the command and was beamed away.

For a few seconds she stood there watching the empty space where he had been, a small part of her missing him already. Giving herself a mental shake, reminding herself that it was only for a few months, she reached up with one hand to touch her lips. She could still feel his lips, the taste of him still there. Giving a smile she turned around to see the others trying their best to look as if they hadn't just witnessed what they did. It was time to get to work.

**~*~*~*~ **


	3. Chapter 3

**3 Weeks Later**

**Pegasus Galaxy  
**

"Don't you think she's just a little... too nice."

John turned sideways, looking at Rodney with a tinge of amusement on his face. "You're kiddin' me, right?"

The two of them had arrived at their current destination on a puddle jumper along with Teyla, who was walking a few feet in front of them, and Ronan, who was taking up the rear. They were undertaking a recon mission, one of just a few that they and the other Atlantean SG teams had under taken in the past few weeks since arriving back in the Pegasus galaxy. Atlantis was now based on a another new planet, one that the Daedalus had found for them, in a section of the Pegasus they had little familiarity with. Woolsey had insisted that they carry out these recon missions on all the nearby planets as way of getting familiar with the area and to make contact with any locals.

Planet M5A-172 was proving to be less than riveting. Covered mostly in a mixture of jungle and swamp, it was hot and humid and so far the only signs of life were the rather annoying mosquito's. To alleviate some of the bored and to stop Rodney from moaning further about the charms, or lack there of, of planet M5A-172, John had started a conversation about some of new people at Atlantis including Anna. Hence the comment about her being too nice.

With his face showing no sign that he was joking, Rodney looked at Sheppard. "Well, no..." Noticing the faint look of disbelief on John's face he pointed to Ronan with a flick of his thumb over his shoulder. "Ronan agrees with me."

Seeing John's glance in his direction, Ronan gave a barely perceivable shrug of his right shoulder. "She's okay" His voice as usual giving no sign of what he really thought.

John turned towards Teyla, not quite wanting to ask the question in case he didn't like the answer. "Please don't tell me that you have a problem with her too?"

Teyla smiled. "No, John. I think Doctor Mitchell is very...," pausing for just a second as she gave Rodney a pointed look, "...nice"

John smiled back, relieved. "Well that's good," he said, he gaze moving from her to the two men, "Rodney only you would dislike someone for being nice. As for you Big Guy I'm kind of surprised that you don't like her."

"I didn't say I didn't like her," replied Ronan.

"I must admit I am somewhat confused. Is there something wrong with being nice?" Teyla asked, directing her question to Rodney.

"Well no... It's just not natural, that's all. The other day she was actually humming! Carson, of course, thinks she's lovely. Did you know they've had breakfast together _twice _this week. I mean she's only been here 3 weeks and already she's friends with half the staff. Anyone that nice has got to be up to something. You know I think she's here as a spy."

"McKay!" John gave Rodney a glare.

"Well, she could be!" Rodney snapped, "Everyone knows she use to work for the Pentagon. I think she's here to report about us. About what we do here, if we're doing a good job, who should stay, who should leave..."

"Don't you think you're being just a little paranoid?" John did his best to hold back a chuckle as they carried on walking, the sound of their boots squelching on the damp ground.

"I prefer to think of it as having a healthy dose of suspicion," countered Rodney, his voice gradually dropping to not too quiet muttering as John and Teyla moved further ahead, "You just wait and see...., we'll all end up fired, sent back home, unable to get a decent job. The only job I'll be able to get is teaching physics to a bunch of high school students. Of course, you and Teyla would like her. Teyla likes everyone so it doesn't count. And you ... well she's female, over 18, new... need I say anymore. I mean Kirk strikes again."

"I _can_ hear you Rodney," called out John, "And I can't believe you just said that. In case you've forgotten she's married. To Colonel Mitchell. Who happens to be a friend, just like Anna is a friend. So I'm going to ignore what you just said and blame your ramblings on the heat."

"I don't ramble," said Rodney, grumpily.

In reply John a snort of disbelief, doing his best to cover it up with a throat clearing cough as Rodney continued muttering to himself.

With her and John now 20 odd feet in front, Teyla leaned a fraction towards John and spoke quietly, confident that Rodney could not over hear them, "I believe Rodney is missing Jennifer." Seeing John's slightly confused and questioning glance, she clarified further, "Though he will not admit it, he is worried that while they are apart Jennifer will change her mind about being in a relationship with him. Doctor Mitchell is merely a focus for his worries."

"So he's lashing out at Anna because she happens to be in the firing line and not because he has a problem with her?"

"Something like that, yes," confirmed Teyla.

"Okay, So what's Ronan's problem?" asked John.

Teyla gave a fugitive glance in Ronan's direction before she answered, satisfied that he was out of hearing range also, though she still kept her voice low just in case, "Doctor Mitchell asked Ronan some questions about Sateda. She is interested in learning about the many different people that are in this galaxy."

"And Ronan being Ronan isn't much of a talker," stated John. He knew that Ronan only rarely spoke about Sateda, and even then it was only to the three people he trusted the most, Teyla, Rodney and himself.

"Yes, though it is more than that. Doctor Mitchell's interest reminds him of things he would rather forget."

John considered her words before he posed a question to her, "Should I have a talk with her?"

Teyla gave a small smile as she saw John's discomfort at the thought he would have to have a personal talk with Anna about Rodney and Ronan. "I believe Doctor Mitchell has everything under control."

"Oh, well... that's good," said John, the relief evident in his voice. Changing the subject he asked, "So how did your visit go?"

Teyla's smile became a little broader. "It went very well. Torren enjoyed himself immensely, Halling and the others made a great deal of fuss over him."

"Well, it's not every day you celebrate being one. First birthday is pretty special."

"Torren has been very lucky. He got to celebrate his birthday twice, first with everyone at Atlantis and then with Kanaan and the rest of my people. It has been a good birthday for both of us."

"How is Kanaan?" John inquired, knowing it had been the first time Teyla had seen Kanaan in awhile.

"He is well," she replied.

"Good."

A moment of silence between them followed as they continued walking. "Kanaan and I are no longer together," said Teyla suddenly.

"Oh... I'm sorry. You okay?" John asked, fumbling over the words. He wanted to be there for his friend if she needed someone to talk to but was torn between concern for her and his natural reticence to talk about private matters.

"I am fine, John. You do not need to be concerned. We have both known for sometime that things between us were no longer the same. Though he is much more like himself what happened to him while captured by Michael has altered him. He no longer feels truly Athosian so he and a few of the others have decided to leave and make a new life elsewhere."

"And you're okay with that?" John looked down at Teyla.

"Yes. It is for the best. He will always be Torren's father, but if leaving means he will find a measure of peace then I am pleased for him. Our feelings for each other may of changed but he will always have a place in my heart, as I hope I will in his," she said, graciously.

"Well, that's good then, I guess. So you'll be needing a babysitter once the word gets out that you're available again."

Teyla gave John a questioning look. "Available?"

"Yeah, it's means you're free to go on a date, meet someone new."

"I see," said Teyla, giving a nod in understanding, a small smile playing upon her lips, "Well, thank you for your kind offer of babysitting. If the need should arise I will keep you in mind."

Suddenly the two of them were driven apart as Ronan barged between, striding ahead of them. "If he doesn't shut up, can I shoot him?"

"Hey! I heard that!" cried out Rodney, who had hurried forward closer to the others not wanting to be left on his own, "It's not my fault. I'm hot, my socks are wet, I haven't eaten in hours and .... Ow! ... bloody insects... are you sure they're safe?... you know mosquito's are carriers... I could get malaria... do I look hot..."

**~*~*~*~ **


End file.
